


Tradition

by Ukume94



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), caryl - Fandom
Genre: Before and After, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Love, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-06 03:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12808869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukume94/pseuds/Ukume94





	Tradition

Daryl and Carol walk into the carnival their fingers linked together as they reach the ferris wheel, Carol smiles widely lining up behind the small waiting area. Daryl wraps his arms around her waist looking into her eyes a smile appearing on his face. Today is a special day for the both of them, his smile making her smile even wider before tiptoeing to give him a soft kiss.  
"Three years ago I met you here by this ferris wheel." Daryl says placing his hand onto her head his fingers lacing through her auburn curls. Carol closes her eyes enjoying the feeling of his fingers playing with her hair gently.  
"You were gawking at me, which made my friends laugh." She adds with a small chuckle.  
"If it wasn't for Maggie saying I was staring you wouldn't have turned and noticed me."  
"I would have to, I saw you again by the bottle toss with that large stuffed bear."  
Daryl chuckles softly kissing her cheek before pulling away to take a few steps after the others took their seats on the ride.  
"We'll have to go there after, I'll win you another stuffed animal." He kisses her cheek gently loving the feeling of her soft skin against his lips.  
"You know I still have that bear." She starts after pulling back to look into his loving face. He nods as he bites his bottom lip, knowing Carol loves when he does that.  
The line moves once again leaving them to be next, Daryl wraps his arm around her. His hand gently touching her lower back, his thumb gently moving back and forth.  
"What did you name that bear again?" He asks eyeing his beautiful girlfriend.  
"Daryl."  
"You named him after me?"  
"Of course, I needed to remember your name somehow." She jokes.  
Daryl chuckles as he leans in to bite her neck gently which causes her to gasp slightly against his chest. He kisses where he bit to sooth the marking he made.  
"Not in public Daryl, there's kids here." She says with a smile upon her face as she looks around making sure no one saw what had happened.  
"I don't care what others think, so I gave you a love bite."  
She giggles against his chest loving that he doesn't care about hiding his affection for her in public.  
"Next." The balding man says opening the gate letting Daryl and Carol know they could make their way onto the car.  
Daryl grabs her hand as they begin to walk towards the car, keeps his hand within hers as she moves to take a seat. He sits next to her once she's seated, their hands still attached.  
The car moves up, the ground becoming smaller and smaller as their lifted towards the sky and back around to the bottom.  
Carol lays her head onto Daryl's shoulder his warmth of his body comforting her. Daryl kisses the top of her head loving having her so close to him, he wraps his arm around her shoulder having her move closer to him.  
"I love you." He says softly into her ear.  
Carol turns toward Daryl, those words never said from the man before. Her eyes begin to water slowly as she leans in kissing his lips. She has always been the one to say it many times before, Daryl always telling her he feels the same way. She knew he had a hard time expressing his feeling with the way he was raised, so she knew not to take it to heart when he couldn't tell her.  
"I love you too." She says after pulling back and admiring the beautiful man before her.  
Daryl smiles blinking back tears he had been fight after saying those three words. The feeling he has for Carol and the way she's helped him with some of the hardest times he knew those words would be the right thing to say. The feeling inside the pit of his stomach gone after those words were let out into the world, He loves this woman so much he could shout it out into the universe.  
Carol leans in kissing his lips, their moans for each other becoming painful wanting more of one another. Daryl pulls away his eyes looking to her still closed eyes. "I love you." He repeats loving the way the words sound on his lips.  
She opens her eyes with a smile upon her face, placing her hand onto the side of his face she rubs his scruff on his face gently with her thumb. "I love you too."  
He pulls her closer to him having her lay her head upon his shoulder once again, she closes her eyes knowing the man she's been dating really loves her. They keep quiet for the rest of the ride loving the presence of one another.  
The ride stops softly letting them both off so they could make their way around the carnival in search for what else they could do.  
They come across the game area where he saw her for the second time all those years ago, her friends eating cotton candy and she eating a vanilla ice cream cone.  
"You want that ice cream cone?" He asks with a smile.  
Carol giggles quietly glancing towards the ice cream stand.  
She nods her head as they make their way towards the stand.  
"One vanilla cone please." Daryl orders winking towards her, her arm wrapped around his as he hands the money to the woman with the apron.  
"You don't want one?" She asks Daryl her blue eyes shining from the glow of the red and yellow lights.  
"I'l share with you, I know you won't be able to finish it anyway." He answers kissing her temple softly.  
The woman with the apron hands Carol the ice cream cone, they thank her quickly as they walk off together. Carol taking a lick of the ice cream, the vanilla cream bringing back the memories of that night.  
"How is it?" He asks glancing towards her with a grin.  
"Tastes like the one from three years ago." She answers lifting the cone so he could have some.  
Daryl takes a mouthful of the ice cream and nods as the cold cream slides down his throat.  
"You kept your eye on me until I finally had to make my way over towards you and your friends." Carol starts taking another lick of the cream.  
"I didn't believe Rick when he said you were walking over until I turned to see you standing by me." He smiles.  
"I noticed you were staring by the Ferris wheel." Carol says repeating herself from those years ago.  
"It's cause I liked what I saw." He says.  
The memory of those years ago replays, the night sky above their heads, the LED colorful lights hanging from the top of every one of the game kiosks. She stood there licking her ice cream cone, wearing a black and white thigh high polka-dot dress and her auburn curls molding her features.  
"Is that so, well then how about I give you a chance to try and get to know more of me." She said placing her free had onto her hip.  
"What's your name?" He asked a smile appearing onto his face liking the way she moves and her cute little attitude.  
"How about you try to win one of those games over there and then I'll give you my name." She flirts tilting her head to the side her pink lips in a smile.  
"I like a bit of a challenge." He answered taking a step closer towards the young woman, loving the way her blue eyes shine from the hanging lights above.  
"That's what I like to hear." She glanced towards the large bear hanging from one of the kiosk poles, a red ribbon around its neck. "How about you win that bear for me and well talk business." She smirked as one eyebrow lifted.  
Daryl looked to his friends and they encouraged him to try.  
"You got this man." Rick said smacking his back in a friendly way.  
Daryl nodded and made a circle with his arm for her to link her elbow with his.  
She smiled and did as he wanted, they made their way towards the game kiosk.  
The man behind the booth greeting them with a smile.  
"Can I help you?" The man asked glancing between Carol and Daryl.  
"How much for the large bear?" Daryl asked eyeing the beauty next to him, her eyebrow lifting again.  
"$2 for four rings, make the ring loop around the bottles with the red top and you'll win the bear." The man said to Daryl. Carol turned seeing her friends walking up to see what's going on.  
"Give me four then." Daryl said taking out his wallet and throwing $2 on the table.  
Carol moved her arm from his so he could concentrate on the task at hand.  
He threw one of the rings, the ring flying and bouncing off one of the bottles.  
"Try it again man." Glenn said encouraging him.  
Daryl glanced towards the girl he wants to get to know, her lips in a smirk and winking towards him egging him on.  
Daryl smiles and moved his eyes back to the bottles, he eyed one of the bottles with the red top. Holding the ring gently in his hand he threw the ring watching as the ring wrapped around the bottle with the red top.  
Everyone around cheered with excitement, Daryl's friends high-fiving each other and Carol's friends grabbing onto Carol's shoulders in excitement.  
The man behind the booth hands Daryl the large bear with a smile.  
Daryl turns around with the bear in hand his eyes meeting Carol's.  
"So how about that name." He said with the corners of his mouth turned up.  
Daryl stops by the same Kiosk he won her bear with a smile on his face. Turning towards Carol with her mouth full of ice cream she lifts her eyebrow slightly.  
"How about I win you another bear?" He asks grabbing onto her hand.  
She nods her head in excitement as they make their way towards the booth. Daryla and Carol are met with a smiling man and a completely different game then the last few times. Daryl's eyebrows crease together in confusion, glancing towards the smiling man he shrugs his shoulders.  
"Where's the bottle game?" Daryl asks.  
The man loses his smile slowly and sighs. "They took that game away, lots of people said it was too hard and couldn't be done." The man answers glancing between Carol and Daryl.  
Daryl growls and shakes his head. "I always won that damn game, that's what started our relationship." He grumbles lifting Carol's hand to emphasize his point.  
"I'm sorry sir, we just did what the people wanted."  
Carol squeezes Daryl's hand slightly, Daryl turns his head to look to her.  
"It's okay Daryl, we don't have to do this part."  
"Of course we do Carol, this is how we started three years ago. It's tradition." He answers her softly.  
Carol turns towards the man in the booth. "Well is there another game we could play that's kinda like the bottle one?" She asks.  
The man takes a deep breath and squints his eyes thinking.  
Carol looks to Daryl seeing that Daryl was starting to get angry with the way their being treated. She squeezes his hand again letting him know she's watching him and to also try to calm himself.  
Daryl takes a deep breath getting her hint.  
"We don't have anything like that game this year, we do have shooting games and tall hoops."  
"I know how to shoot so that ain't gonna be no fun." Daryl raises his voice.  
"Daryl it's fine. We don't need to do this."  
"We do, tradition is tradition." He answers.  
"I'm sorry sir but we don't have anything like it here." The man answers.  
"This is bullshit, who do I have to speak to so we can bring it back?" He asks.  
"My manager, he's not here at the moment but I can have my supervisor come out so you could speak with."  
"No, it's fine we'll find our way out." Carol interrupts.  
"Car-"  
"Daryl we will find else where to go, thank you for the help but we'll be leaving." Carol walks off with her hand still holding onto Daryl's hand, she pulls him with her as she walks away.  
They continue to walk till they reach the food area and arcade. Daryl's glancing towards Carol ever so often just to make sure she wasn't angry with him.  
"Carol." He whispers softly.  
She keeps her eyes focused on the children playing in the arcade trying to ignore her boyfriend.  
Daryl sighs softly knowing he messed up by fighting with the man in the booth. He just wanted to do what he's always done for her but this time he couldn't even try. He glances towards the arcade noticing stuffed animals in a machine, his eyes lighting up and smile appearing on his face.  
Without saying a word Daryl lets Carol's hand go and walks into the arcade, passing the kids and heading towards the claw machine.  
Carol watches Daryl as he puts his hand in his pocket looking for change.  
Her eyebrows raising slightly as her curiosity rises.  
Daryl finds the exact change in his pocket and places it into the machine. The claw coming to life inside the large glass box, he glances towards a small teddy bear near the corner deciding that was going to be his target.  
Moving the claw above the bear he makes sure it's right over the bear before hitting the red button.  
Carol notices the claw extending down towards an object and decides to leave her spot in the middle of the walkway and head towards Daryl to see what he's trying to win.  
She makes it in time to see the claw just grazing the ear of a teddy bear.  
"Damn it!" Daryl growls under his breath before reaching into his pocket again.  
"Daryl, what are you doing?" She asks eyeing her boyfriend as he places the last bit of his change into the machine and moving the claw back towards the bear.  
"I'm gonna keep our tradition going and I'm gonna win you a prize." He says glancing towards Carol a smile playing on his face.  
"You don't need to Daryl, it's okay." She reassures.  
"I don't need to, I want to." He says winking towards her.  
Daryl moves around the glass box and makes sure that he's in the right spot above the bear before pushing the button a second time.  
They both watch as the claw lowers and grasps onto the bear by its chest. Daryl smiling widely knowing he did it finally.  
The claw rises and bounces slightly causing the bear to fall from the claw.  
"What the hell! That's not fare!" He shouts kicking the bottom of the machine in frustration.  
"Daryl, don't cause a scene. I told you it's okay, I really don't need one this time."  
"It's tradition Carol. I always win you a stuffed bear, it's just this game is fucking hard!" He growls again as he takes out his wallet and pulls a couple bills.  
slipping the bill into the machine the claw coming to life again, Daryl chews on his lower lip as he moves the claw above the bear.  
Making sure he's angled right he slams his hand on the red button.  
The claw lowering again and landing on the bears small tail, the claw rises lifting the bear again and bouncing as it reaches the top causing the bear to fall again.  
"What the hell!" He shouts again.  
"Daryl, there's kids here." She whispers looking around and noticing some of the kids and their parents staring.  
"I don't care."  
"Well I do, I don't want to get kicked out of the Fair." She answers.  
Daryl glances towards Carol and nods as he places another bill into the machine to try again.  
Making sure the claw is directly above the bear he slams the button ans watches.  
The claw grabs the bear by the face and rises.  
Daryl chews his bottom lip again and silently begging the machine to be kind to him, the claw bounces slightly but is still holding onto the bears face.  
Daryl and Carol both cheer as they watch the bear drop into the prize box.  
Daryl grabs the bear and hands it to Carol with a smile upon his face.  
"Told you I'd get you one."  
Carol holds onto the bear with a smile and cheeks blushing slightly.  
"Thank you Daryl." She goes to her tiptoes and give him a kiss on his cheek.  
"Anything for our tradition, I'm gonna make sure to see ya happy." He answers kissing her softly before heading out of the arcade and into the parking lot towards their car.  
Carol clutching the bear within her hands.  



End file.
